In Memoriam Johnny Gaudreau & Matthew Gaudreau killed by drunk driver while cycling (MOD WARNING. No Flaming, Trolling, or Politics.)

[Diogenes92]

This whole "rehabilitation" for homicidal drunk drivers garbage makes me sick to read. Such a seriously warped reality some people live in these days. Victim blame and feel sorry for bad people. Its fake compassion. Projection.

Actions have consequences. Or at least they should. The scumbag who killed the Gaudreaus didn't "intend" to kill them when he drank and got behind the wheel over the legal limit, but there is literally decades of documented cases as to why it is an illegal and criminal act. People die everyday due to drunk driving. The risk is always there. Every time.

He took away two young fathers from their families over a selfish decision to do something that is clearly illegal to begin with. Its negligent homicide x2 and he deserves to rot in prison for the simple fact that he has ruined the Gaudreau family's lives in such a dispicable way.

If justice is done, itll be 25+ years no parole. But I wont get my hopes up.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I could hop on that, because I don't disagree with you. Show of hands, here, who has ever done something on the roads they shouldn't have? I don't mean just drinking. I mean, like you got angry someone was driving slow and tried to pass them and you didn't see something they saw?

That's how it all happened. It could have been me, it could have been you, it could have been Nancy Greenfield from Buttf***, Iowa. 5 seconds of poor judgment is all it takes. So we can do whatever the f*** we want here, but it doesn't take away from the fact children needlessly lost their father, a sister lost her brothers, a wife lost her husband. Parents lost their children. Needlessly.

It's a tragedy. You aren't supposed to make sense of it. I'm a younger fella (about his age), and while I might not have looked up to Johnny, it's hard to ignore when you see a guy with the same build as you, same kind of player as you, wearing the same number you wore. Sure he was a Flame, but I always had a certain respect for him. Kindred almost.

I haven't really posted about this because I've been trying to make sense of it, and my own divorce, and it's impossible. I don't say let him rot, I say put him away for his own public safety. I know there are people seething mad/sad more than I am, with better reason. I don't know. Just thinking about makes me too sad. That's all I have for the thread tonight, I can't talk about it any further.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

State offered 35 years? I don't like that offer, he really has no reason to take that as it virtually a life sentence.

Now if they offer something like 20 years he has something to think about, he would be 63-64 when he gets out he could have some time left then.

 

[North Cole]

I could hop on that, because I don't disagree with you. Show of hands, here, who has ever done something on the roads they shouldn't have? I don't mean just drinking. I mean, like you got angry someone was driving slow and tried to pass them and you didn't see something they saw?

That's how it all happened. It could have been me, it could have been you, it could have been Nancy Greenfield from Buttf***, Iowa. 5 seconds of poor judgment is all it takes. So we can do whatever the f*** we want here, but it doesn't take away from the fact children needlessly lost their father, a sister lost her brothers, a wife lost her husband. Parents lost their children. Needlessly.

It's a tragedy. You aren't supposed to make sense of it. I'm a younger fella (about his age), and while I might not have looked up to Johnny, it's hard to ignore when you see a guy with the same build as you, same kind of player as you, wearing the same number you wore. Sure he was a Flame, but I always had a certain respect for him. Kindred almost.

I haven't really posted about this because I've been trying to make sense of it, and my own divorce, and it's impossible. I don't say let him rot, I say put him away for his own public safety. I know there are people seething mad/sad more than I am, with better reason. I don't know. Just thinking about makes me too sad. That's all I have for the thread tonight, I can't talk about it any further.

I mean, that's why we have lines on the road. Getting angry or giving someone the finger is something most everyone has done. I don't think I know anyone that's tried to blast by people on the shoulder of the road. Maybe this point makes more sense if he got in a head on in the left lane or something. Anyone who passes half in the shoulder on the right is a complete nut, anger or no anger. So I don't really see how thats a relatable thing.

Hell, even the crazy traffic swimmers on YouTube recording their "not real life footage" manage to keep it in the actual lanes.

 

[Guttersniped]

I mean, not killing people and going to jail for five years is plenty to stop me.

Without looking I'd be comfortable betting large amounts that Americans kill far more people drunk driving. 35 years doesn't do shit aside from make sure they try to do a hit and run

I can’t find newer numbers than these from 2015 but Canada has the US beat here.

Infographic: The Worst Countries In The World For Drunk Driving

This chart shows the percentage of road accident deaths involving alcohol in 2015 (selected countries).

www.statista.com

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/canada-tops-list-of-developed-countries-for-rate-of-impaired-driving-fatalities/article_eec511cf-7d73-5f03-8aec-2cc5055e5dd5.html

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

Everyone gets that, nobody has missed the part where he killed people.

Nevertheless, there is still a legal and ethical distinction between this incident, and someone taking to the road with explicit intent to murder people. That’s not semantics and it’s the reason people are debating the topic.

Someone’s dead as the result of someone’s actions, which were unethical. Life is fragile, and we need to consider that when making decisions everywhere in life that could affect the people around us. Whatever you want to label that as is semantics.

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

It’s actually f***ing dumb that people think a drunk driver who killed two people should get anything less than 30 years. He’s lucky it isn’t more.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Someone’s dead as the result of someone’s actions, which were unethical. Life is fragile, and we need to consider that when making decisions everywhere in life that could affect the people around us. Whatever you want to label that as is semantics.

The difference between murder and manslaughter is not semantics. It’s just simply not, no matter how many times you say it is.

 

[JPT]

Don't you see the significant difference between the war on drugs and manslaughter?

I specifically mention rehabilitation twice in the quoted post. Point of rehabilitation is that you are sure that the person won't recommit the offense. From the sounds of it, this guy has serious issues, he's far from making just a stupid mistake. He has anger issues from the sounds of it and also a drinking problem. 18 months don't fix those issues. What is stopping him from getting angry, driving to the bar, and driving recklessly again in a fit of rage once those 18 months are up?

Besides, now we are talking about what the law aught to be. Even in Norway, the country that has the most pro-rehabilitation, manslaughter is 3 or 6 years.

You might have a stronger case if the American criminal punishment system were actually focused on rehabilitation, but it isn't. The point of the post you quoted wasn't to compare the war on drugs to this situation. It was to point out that longer prison sentences aren't going to work to reduce crime. That's something proven by the so-called war on drugs. If rehabilitation is the goal, longer prison sentences do absolutely nothing to achieve that goal, at least not in the US.

 

[SteelCityCannon]

The fact that he was aggressive on the road, over the legal limit and killed more than one people on separate vehicles, albeit, bicycles, AND one of the widows left behind was pregnant will all weigh heavy.

*Both of the widows

The thing that gets me about this, dude was juuuuust barely over the legal limit. The Gaudreaus aren't dead because he was drunk, they're dead because he was driving like a psycho POS. He passed a car on the right on a one lane road. He made the decision that if anybody is walking here they're gonna die, but he'll get to where hes going 1 minute earlier so that's a risk he was willing to take. To me, this is even worse than being drunk. I'm so sick of people who put others lives on the line driving.

f*** this guy.

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

The difference between murder and manslaughter is not semantics. It’s just simply not, no matter how many times you say it is.

It is semantics. The guy made a selfish decision- not a mistake- a conscious decision to risk other people’s lives. He killed two people. And you want to argue down the term of his sentence because of language.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The thing that really grates me is that this guy hasn't shown any remorse for his actions. Drunk driving destroys lives, period.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

This guy is going to die in prison and I’m thrilled about it tbh

 

[Konnan511]

It is semantics. The guy made a selfish decision- not a mistake- a conscious decision to risk other people’s lives. He killed two people. And you want to argue down the term of his sentence because of language.

Language has meaning. Laws have meaning. You can't throw out one or the either because of feelings, rightly or wrongly.

 

[Dr Pepper]

This guy is going to die in prison and I’m thrilled about it tbh

I highly doubt it, given the limp-wristed legal system he's dealing with.

That said, he could always take matters into his own hands and save everyone else the trouble.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

I mean, that's why we have lines on the road. Getting angry or giving someone the finger is something most everyone has done. I don't think I know anyone that's tried to blast by people on the shoulder of the road. Maybe this point makes more sense if he got in a head on in the left lane or something. Anyone who passes half in the shoulder on the right is a complete nut, anger or no anger. So I don't really see how thats a relatable thing.

Hell, even the crazy traffic swimmers on YouTube recording their "not real life footage" manage to keep it in the actual lanes.

Look, I ain't absolving him of guilt my son. I never said that. You intimated that one on your own.

1000s of people die like this every year. Where's the hue and cry for them?

 

[TD Charlie]

*Both of the widows

The thing that gets me about this, dude was juuuuust barely over the legal limit. The Gaudreaus aren't dead because he was drunk, they're dead because he was driving like a psycho POS. He passed a car on the right on a one lane road. He made the decision that if anybody is walking here they're gonna die, but he'll get to where hes going 1 minute earlier so that's a risk he was willing to take. To me, this is even worse than being drunk. I'm so sick of people who put others lives on the line driving.

f*** this guy.

Juuuuust barely over the legal limit matters not. It's a yes or a no. Homie was over the legal limit. Full stop.

Yes he was driving like a psycho. He was also drunk. It's impossible for me to sit here and say 100% whether the drinking had any impact on his road rage in this moment, but I don't think the law allows for the benefit of doubt here...nor should it IMO.

 

[tucker3434]

DA is trying to hammer him because it's a high profile case. I expect a plea deal if he'd hit anyone else would be half that. I don't blame the guy for rejecting it. He couldn't do much worse at trial. Recent news doesn't change my perception of the situation. It's just the system at work.

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

Language has meaning. Laws have meaning. You can't throw out one or the either because of feelings, rightly or wrongly.

It’s not about feelings. It’s about the value of two peoples’ lives.

 

[Frank Drebin]

I mean, that's why we have lines on the road. Getting angry or giving someone the finger is something most everyone has done. I don't think I know anyone that's tried to blast by people on the shoulder of the road. Maybe this point makes more sense if he got in a head on in the left lane or something. Anyone who passes half in the shoulder on the right is a complete nut, anger or no anger. So I don't really see how thats a relatable thing.

Hell, even the crazy traffic swimmers on YouTube recording their "not real life footage" manage to keep it in the actual lanes.

It happened to me on the henday couple months ago. Some guy was being a jerk in the left lane during rush hour and guy 2 cars behind me passed all of us on the left shoulder. I've been tempted to do it many times during my infuriating commutes.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Was he actually over the limit? The body cam footage made him seem somewhat sober

 

[SteelCityCannon]

Juuuuust barely over the legal limit matters not. It's a yes or a no. Homie was over the legal limit. Full stop.

Yes he was driving like a psycho. He was also drunk. It's impossible for me to sit here and say 100% whether the drinking had any impact on his road rage in this moment, but I don't think the law allows for the benefit of doubt here...nor should it IMO.

No, I'm with you. There's no benefit of the doubt here. I hope he rots in jail.

 

[K Fleur]

This is silly but this brought back some sadness and anger for me yesterday: in my NHL24 Franchise mode Gaudreau just retired in 2031 with a long hall of fame career.

The way it should have been.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

It’s not about feelings. It’s about the value of two peoples’ lives.

But you are making it about your feelings, though. You are completely ignoring the context and making some weird leaps of logic.

The distinction between an homicide and a murder matters.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Honestly I am in the huge minority here. I don’t feel a 25 year sentence fits the crime here. Guy had two beers too many (from the BAC) and drove recklessly and aggressively. I feel like if he would have hit two non famous people he would have gotten an offer of about 10-15 years. That seems appropriate given the circumstances. If he would have been smashed (above .15 bac) or had a prior conviction (he only has an arrest) I could see 25 years. It’s too much.

What purpose does the extra 10 years serve? Sentences are too long in this country generally imo (to make money off of taxpayers; no rehabilitation really occurs) and it’s been pretty well established that much longer sentences don’t deter crime.

Police say Higgins, of Woodstown, had a history of road rage